The Sign of Betrayal
I had the best spouse in the world, a man whose compassion seemed like sunlight in a dark room. But my mother-in-law appeared determined to put an end to it. Kim was not only difficult to deal with; she was also vicious. She was so greedy that even her kids, Rhett and Rosie, stayed away from her.
When Rhett and I initially started dating, I would often ask him why he was so reluctant to talk about his mother. He would avoid the topic, and his eyes would cloud over until one night, in the dark lights of our favorite diner, he finally talked.
“My
He told me of a woman who lived in a fancy house that she purchased by blackmailing her ex-husband. She spent the child support money on expensive bags while her kids went without. I was horrified. It transformed the way I saw her for good. But at the time, I didn’t know that her avarice would one day put the only thing I had left of Rhett in danger.
Chapter 1: The Guest Who Wanted More
I saw the commotion up close and personal when Rhett and I got married. Kim was always asking for money, like a black hole of neediness. She used guilt trips and emotional coercion to get Rhett to give her money for “emergencies” that usually turned out to be a new wardrobe or a weekend at a spa. Rhett was a kind person; therefore, he often gave in to keep the peace.
When
She didn’t bring a gift for the housewarming the first time she came. She had guts.
She said, “Hey Naomi,” as she walked in through the front door without knocking. “Great place.” Did you use your charm to get my son to give you this? “Wow, it’s big.”
I said, “We are both paying for this house, Kim,” attempting to keep my voice level. “And to be honest, our money is none of your business.”
“Well, it’s my business if it’s my son’s money,” she said sharply, looking at a vase as if she were trying to figure out how much it was worth at a pawn shop. “Speaking of which, I need him to send me money through Venmo. Things are tough at home.
“Are you kidding?” I asked, not believing it. “We sent you $2,000 just last week.” What did you do with it?
She said, “What I do with my money is none of your business.” “Just tell him not to be cheap this time.”
Kim was greedy, spoiled, and never content. But Rhett took care of her and kept me from the worst of it. Until he couldn’t.
Rhett died two years into our marriage from a rare medical ailment that came on suddenly. It occurred so quickly: one week we were arranging a trip, and the next I was preparing a funeral. I was filled with heartbreak and felt a hollow void. I didn’t know how to breathe without him. He was the love of my life.
George, his father, and Rosie, his sister, were my lifelines. We cried together and held each other up in the ruins. But what about Kim? Kim didn’t feel sad. She did the math.
Chapter 2: The Vulture at the Funeral
There were many people in black attire and quiet weeping during the funeral. Kim cried a little at the burial, but as soon as the last person left, her mask fell off.
“So,” she began, trapping me in my own living room as George and Rosie made tea in the kitchen. “Now that the funeral is over, let’s talk about the will.”
I looked at her, my eyes puffy and hurting. “What do you mean? Kim, have some shame. You just put your son in the ground.
“Don’t tell me what to do,” she said angrily. “I need to know what I’m getting.” His things. The insurance for life.”
I responded, “You are getting nothing,” and my voice shook with anger. “Most of his money went to paying for medical care. And everything else is mine, his wife. You haven’t been a mother to him in years.
She said with a sneer, “That can’t be true.” “I’ll take you to court.” I want my part of this house. “It’s not all yours.”
“Kim, the house is in my name.” “Get out.”
She fled, but not before making a scary vow. “I will get what I deserve.” Don’t worry. You haven’t heard the last of me.
I fell onto the couch and cried. I thought that was the worst part. I made a mistake.
Later that night, I went upstairs to look through Rhett’s things to feel better. I looked through his watch, cologne, and wedding album. But when I opened the drawer, there was nothing in it. I looked in the closet. His favorite blazer and baseball glove from when he was a kid are gone. I couldn’t find anything on my nightstand, not even his wedding ring, which the hospital had given back to me in a small plastic bag.
I started to panic. I ripped the room apart, but I knew deep within. It wasn’t a burglar. It was a beast.
The phone rang. It was Kim.
“So,” she said with a purr. “Now that you’ve had some time to think, I’ll give you a chance.” Give away part of the house.
I murmured, “You stole them,” holding the phone. “You took his things.”
She said with a smug smile, “I have the foresight to get what’s mine.” ” These include his ring, his records, and the items he cherished from childhood. Months ago, I created a copy of his key. I got in when you were busy grieving over a coffin. “That’s too bad.”
“Get them back, Kim, or I’ll call the cops.”
“Go ahead,” she said. “But I’ll kill them before the police even knock on my door.” That ring will never come back to you. Or those pictures.
My heart stopped. Those things were all I had left of him.
“What’s your wish?” I asked, my voice cracking.
“The house, Naomi. I want the deed to be given to me. I’ll give you back your memories if you sign the papers. If you don’t, I’ll burn them.
Chapter 3: The Plan to Stop
I hung up and sat quietly, feeling the weight of her cruelty crushing me. She was holding Rhett’s memory hostage for a pile of bricks and mortar. Some of me wanted to give in simply to have his ring back. But then I felt a flash of wrath in my chest. Rhett hated how greedy she was. He would never want me to let her win.
I contacted George and Rosie right away. I told them everything when they came over.
George’s face turned white with wrath as he exclaimed, “I’m ashamed I ever married that woman.” “She is stealing from my son’s widow even though he isn’t even cold.”
Rosie stood up and said, “I’m going over there.” “I’ll kick down her door.”
“No,” I responded, taking her hand. “She’ll trash the things if we approach her. She is crazy enough to do it.
“So what? You’re going to give her the house?” Rosie cried.
“No,” I murmured, and a chilly calm came over me. “I’m going to make her believe I am.”
I wrote out my plan. It was dangerous, but it was the only way to get Rhett’s stuff back and make sure Kim never disturbed us again. George and Rosie listened, and their faces went from worried to determined.
George said, “Let’s do it.”
The next day, I called Kim. I informed her she had won. I told her I was broken, too exhausted to fight, and that the house didn’t mean anything to me without Rhett. She bought it all, bragging about how “sensible” I had finally become.
I urged her to “get the papers ready.” “I’ll sign anything you want.” “Just bring the things.”
She called me to her house a week later. She hired an inexpensive lawyer to write out a transfer deed. While she sipped her Starbucks and grinned, I sat across from her and perused the document.
“I have my own lawyer,” I remarked as I took a folder out of my backpack. “He also made a document for you to sign. It’s only a formality: an agreement to accept a gift. It says that you are getting the property for free and that I don’t have to pay any taxes on it.
“Do I really have to sign this?” She reached for the pen and said, “I’m sorry.”
“Only if you want the house, Kim.”
She didn’t even look at it. She was so excited about the chance to acquire my house that she signed her name with a flourish.
“There,” she remarked, handing the paper back to me. “Now sign the deed.”
I put my name on her paper. She grabbed it and smiled like a Cheshire cat.
“Finally,” she said. “I want you to be out by the end of the month.” I need to change the way my house looks.
She kicked a box toward me and said, “Here are the things.” “Don’t say I never gave you anything.”
I opened the box. There was the ring, the album, and the glove. I fought back tears of relief.
She waved her hand and said, “See you later, Naomi.” “Don’t let the door hit you.”
I left with my box, my heart racing. She felt she had won. She had no notion that she had just signed her eviction notice.
The Big Party in Chapter 4
Kim couldn’t simply win without making a fuss, as that was her nature. She had to brag. Before I even moved out, she wanted to host a huge “Housewarming Party” to commemorate getting my house. She used the last of her money to hire a caterer, buy decorations, and set up an open bar. She invited everyone she knew to come and celebrate her win.
She even asked me to come.
“Hey Naomi,” she said on the phone. “I’m throwing a big party this weekend.” I want you to be there when I tell everyone the big news. “It’s only fair because you gave me such a nice gift.”
“I’ll be there,” I said. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
On the day of the celebration, Rosie and George were on either side of me. The rented hall where the event took place was decorated in gold and white. She couldn’t use the house yet. Kim was in the middle, wearing a sequined outfit that cost more than her car.
She tapped her glass with a spoon, and the room went quiet
“Thanks for coming!” She said with a smile. “Today is a unique day. At last, I have the home I deserve. My daughter-in-law Naomi has kindly given me her house. “It’s a big sacrifice, but family helps family, right?”
There was a murmur in the crowd. People appeared lost. Why would a sad widow give away her house?
“Kim,” I said, moving forward. It got quiet in the room. “Why don’t you tell them why I gave it to you?”
“Oh, stop being shy,” she said with a hesitant laugh. “She just couldn’t take the mortgage, everyone. Too much for one girl.
I said simply, “That’s a lie.” “You blackmailed me.” You took my dead husband’s wedding ring and said you would destroy it if I didn’t sign over the house.
People gasped. Kim’s face turned white
She screamed, “She’s lying!” “She’s going crazy with grief!”
I said, “Rosie and George know the truth.”
Rosie stood up. “It’s true. My mom is a thief and a blackmailer.
“Traitors!” Kim yelled. “I deserve that house!” My son bought it!
“Actually,” I said, holding up a piece of paper—the paperwork she had signed without reading it. “You don’t own anything.”
“What are you saying?” She yelled. “I have the deed! “You signed it!”
“I signed a fake document, Kim. It’s not worth anything. However, you signed an authentic transfer of ownership.
I held up the paper.
“This document says that you, Kim, are giving me the deed to your current house as payment for the debts you took out in Rhett’s name years ago.” It also tells the person to leave. “You have thirty days to leave my new home.”
There was no sound in the room at all. The air conditioning made a whirring sound.
Kim took the paper and quickly read the legalese. “No, no, this can’t be right. I didn’t read… “You tricked me!”
I responded coldly, “You tricked yourself.” “You were so greedy that you didn’t even read what you were signing. In a technical sense, your house is now mine. And what about my house? Still mine.”
She cried, “You can’t do this!” as she looked about for help. But the people in the crowd were looking at her with disgust. The truth was out.
“I can,” I said. “And I did. You have a month.” I’m calling the sheriff if you don’t come out.”
Kim’s eyes rolled back, and she fell to the ground in a deep faint.
No one came to her aid.
Chapter 5: The Eviction
George finally called an ambulance, but more out of pity than worry. People swiftly left the gathering, grumbling about karma and how harsh it was. We ordered pizza and went home to my house.
My phone blew up the next day. Kim was awake and furious. She yelled, begged, and said she would sue.
“Go ahead,” I said quietly. “You signed a legal document in front of a notary. You don’t have a leg to stand on.
She sought to stay in her residence without packing. But I wasn’t joking. On the 30th day, I came with the cops and a locksmith.
The neighbors witnessed the removal of Kim, as she screamed curses and clutched her expensive luggage. It was a scene, but it was the end.
I didn’t keep her home. I didn’t want her to touch anything. I sold it right away to a lovely young couple who reminded me of Rhett and me when we were just starting out.
The transaction brought in a lot of money. I used the money to pay off the last mortgage on my home, which meant that Rhett’s house was now completely ours.
I used the extra money to take George and Rosie on a trip to Italy, something Rhett had always wanted to do. We drank wine, ate spaghetti, and raised a glass to him while laughing and crying in the Tuscan heat.
Chapter 6: Going Forward
Kim is now sleeping on friends’ couches because she has cut off ties with everyone in her family. She doesn’t have a house, any savings, or anyone else to control. George and Rosie are no longer in touch.
I still reside in the house that Rhett and I picked out together. There are memories of him in every place, but the air feels lighter today. There is no longer a shadow of his mother.
I got his ring back. I have the pictures of us. And I feel better knowing that the woman who sought to ruin his memories ended up ruining her own.
Greed is a strange thing. It means you do not see the trap that’s right in front of you. Kim wanted everything, and in the end, she got what she deserved: nothing.
Tell me in the comments if my payback was too harsh or if Kim got what she deserved. And have you ever had to outsmart a family member who was bad for you? Don’t forget to sign up for more tales about justice served cold.
